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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST RICHTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PIANO.

S1EGIFICATION forxhing part of Letters Patent N0. 6225783, clated April 1 1, 1899.

Application filed July 28,1898. Serial N0. 687,097. (N0 moel.)

T0 all w7wm it mag concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST RICHTER, a eitizen 0f the United States, residing in Ehe borougl1 of Manhattan, in the eity and State 0f New York, have inventecl a eertain n'ew and useful Improvement in Pianos, 0f Whi0h the following; is a speeifieation.

My invention applies to all the variebies of upright pianos, and relates to the provisions f01 softening the t-0ne Whieh whe n earried 110 a great extent is sometimes designated niute. I employ, as in other meehanisms f0r this purpose, a movable haxnn'1er-rail, whieh restrains the backward movement of the hammer ancl is connected t0 the pedal, so that 011 depressing the pedal the 1ail Will be moved upwaz-cl toward tl1e h'ammers and prevent them from falling back to the limit required f0r full effeet. The redueed movement 0f the hammers being produeed by the san1e amount 0f movement of the key as before induces a tendency t0 lost motion in the key when Ehe soft pedal is in aetion, so that nnless sozne provision is made f0r better working the first part 0f the movement 0f the keyis 0f 110 effe0t and the last p ait only aets 011 the han1mer-aetion. Many eff'orts have been made to overcome this diflieulty and to eause uhe key,and eonsequently the finger of the player upon he key, t0 feel the resistanee 0f the action throughout uhe whole movement 0f the keys ehe same as in ordinary playing. One of the mo les whereby the lost moion is thus avoided is 110 shift the relatively-fixecl centers 0f the back ends 0f j the horizontal levers, ordinarily designated tongnes, moving them baekward when the soft pedal is depressed. The rocls extending npwarcl from the tongues, usually designated eonstruetion 0f the meehanisn1 by which lt is ell'eeted. I provlde separate pendent links,

- 0110 f01 eaeh key, extending downward from the ordinary transverse 01 extension rail t0 the eorresponding tongues and operate uhe W11016S61l88 0f such pendentlinks andtongues by a Single i0d mounted below and engaging With a sufficientn0teh in the lewer end 0f each of such links and 1noved backward when it is required. 130 1nake bhe tone soft. I eifect the proper movement baekward and forward by a eonnection from the hannner-rail. Vhat I esteem the preferable form of the meehanism is a double toggle at one side of the piano abutting against a point in front and aeting against such 10d 110 urgeit baekwarcl, and I will deseribe it as thus applied. The rocl is 0f stouu metal and is suspended by a number 0f hooks 01 links t0 points eoincident With ehe axis of the series of separate links whieh it eontrols. ltv performs the duty 0f shifting all forward and baekward without warping 01 springing.

The aeeompanying clrawings form a part 0f this speeification and represent what I 00x1- sider the best 1neans f0r carrying out the invention. l

Figure 1 is an elevation of the acti0n. Fig. 2 is a portion 0f the same, enlarged. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view 0f 13he bracket, showing the pedal 1 0d and wire connected '00 the hammer-rail. Fig. 4 is a portion 0f the lower 1*ail as viewed f101n the back. Fig. 5 is a modifieation.

Similar letters 0f referenee indicate 0011esponding parts in all the figures where they appear.

A A, &e., are fixed portions 0f the piano, speeial parts being designated by supernumerals, as A, when neeessary. B is the softpedal lever, and C is t-he lifter-rod, sometimes ealled a dowel, whieh rises When th e freut end of the pedal is depressed by the player and lifts the hammer-rail D, supported and guidecl in ehe ordinary manner, thereby re-.

sbraining the drop of the hammers. These, as also the meehanisxns in ehe vieinity of the hammers-the wippen, &c.may be of any ordinary 0r suitable eonstruction.

A is the ordinary extension-rail.

A are the ordinary flanges, screwed finnly npon the rail A and each carrying a horizontal pivot A whieh serves as the eenter of moion for 0ne Of the penclent links E. The lower end 0f each link is deeplynotehecl IOO 01 forked, the fork being lined witl1 cloth,and receives a single 1'0d 0l steel G, which latte1 extends the whole width cf the piano mechanisn1 and engages Wlhll the whole series of links, so thao as the 10d is 1noved backward and forward all he links E and the tongues II, pivo'tcd thereto a little above the forks, are n1oved forward and backuard simultaneously. This 10d G, which I will neun ehe losn-motion 10d, is suspendcd on hooks G, serving as links, so tha1; it swings fro1n the sa1ne axis as Ehe several links E, These hocklinks G are provided one als each end and two ab intermediate points. An additional link G shoun ab Lhe overhanging end ab thebase side, is wide and engaged With t-he operatingtoggle. The back face cf this link G is noched a0 receive thelost-1notion 1od G. The rod is covered Wll1 a piece cf soft leather G and receives the pressure of a spring F, scrcwed to the fixed parts above. A doublc togglc composed cf 15W0 links I and J, knuckled nogethcr at the ccnter, counects this link G t0 a pin A, set in the fixed framework.

K is a long slender scrcw adjustable by tu1ning in a flange K, which latter is pivoted ab a point in Ehe part J near the central knuckle. The screw K extends up to a lug D 011 the ha1n1ncrail D. \Vhen the soft pedal 13 is depressed and operates in the 01'- dinary way through a dowel O so elevate the hannner-rail, the rise cf the latter in addition 130 its ordinary function cf resraining the recoil cf the hammers by pulling 0n the wire K partially straightens the toggle-uhat is 130 say, it lift-s the knuckle joining the parts I and J, with the effect t0 push the lost-motion 10d G 1earward, turning onits hooks 01 links G, and this 1notion, loyreason cf the engage- 1nent cf the several links E with the rod,pulls the links rearward, and thus' correspondingly moves the tongues rearward and upward. T0 these tongnes are pivoted the lower ends of the extensions U, sometimes called sticks, which latter, as also the Wippen and entire hannner and damper mechanism operated thereby, 1nay be cf any ordinary or suiable character. lt Will now be seen that the moven1ent cf the lost-motion 1'0d G and its connections backwaxd by the parial straightening cf nhe toggle I J n1oves all the several tongues rearward, and by reason cf tl1e rising cf l;he rear end cf the tongues as they 1nove backward such move1ncnt increases the inclination cf the tongues. After such n1ove n1ent backward and such incr'ease 01: the inclination cf their lower faces each tongue con Sinnes to raise and lower its extension N With the movements cf the respective key in the saxne manne1 as before, except that the tongue and its connected actions above DOW work DO a less extenb. This is due eo the fach that ehe capstan-screw M instead cf acting 1111(l61 ehe point under Ehe tongue where it; did now acts ab a point farther fron1 the center cf n1otion nea1 the front end cf the tongue. The capstan-screw has the sa1ne a1nonnt cf n1otion up and down 'as before, but; it gives less motion t0 the extension N, and consequentlyto the hannner. (Not shown.) The i1nportance 0f the fo1n1 and relation cf these parts justifies a repetii1ion in diiferen words: I will be observcd that; the inclined position cf thc under facc of thc tongue and 1;he fach that the rear end in the act cf being shifted rearward by the depression cf the soft pedal B, the 1*aising cf thc hammer-rail D, and the partial straightening cf the togglel J, is not onlymoved 1earward, but also lifted and raises the extension N, so that before the keyis depressed the action is already in conoact 01 cl0se to contact with thc hamme1 in its half-elevated posit-ion. Now the depression cf the key by raising thc ex tension less, and consequencly following the han1n1er t0 a less distance Lhan before, is just; sufficient t0 cause the action cf the key 130 bc feil; 011 the hamn1er throughout the Wh0le cf its 110W limited n10vement. The player finds the resistance to the depvession cf the keys of 13110 sa1ne qualiuy a little less in fo1ce, but cf the same uniform character as before,being continuous throughout thc entire extent cf the depression cf any key.

\Vhen the soft pedal B is released and its front; end allowed t0 1ise, its dowel C Sinks an d allows the hannner-rail D t0 sink t0 its ordinary position, thus allowing each hamxner t0 again fall 01 recoil fron1 the strings to its full extent. 'lhe san1e movementthe downward movementof the hannner-rail by lowcring 13he wire K allows tl1e toggle I J so again sink into its 1n01e foldedposition,as shown in Fig. I}, and ohis movexnent pe1n1its thelost-n1otion rod G, With its train 01": links E, t0 swing forward, thus carrying the whole series cf tongues II forward again t0 their ordinary positions. 'lhis, by reason cf the inclination cf the tongucs and the fach that this last 1n0veme'nt is 11015 only forward bui: downward, allows each tongue 150 sink, and conscquently causes the extension N 110 sink back to its original position. Now each key on being depressed acts by its cap stan-screw M at a poin nearer i3he center of motion cf the tongue, so as 150 cause the extcnsion 130 rise farbher by the uniform lifting of the capstan-screw. Oonsequently thc depression cf a key causes the action t0 again follow the hannnerto the ordinary full extent, thus giving Ehe full tone so uhe instrun1ent.

In case therc are provisions f01 adjusting the hammer-rail at intennediaue levels, so as 150 only partially softem che t0ne, 01 in casc a skilled player with a desire for graduated effects by a guarded movement cf his 'f001; depresses the soft: pedal only pa1t way, thereby raising the ha1nn1er-rail D t0 only an intermediate position bewecn the full t0ne and the mute, the1e will be a closely-corresponding eifect produced in changing nhe connection cf the keys so l1e hannnersthat is to say, not only the hannnerrail allows the ha1nmers to fall back each to a osition intermediate between the full tone and the mute, but also 1ny mechanism by a lesser straight- IIO ening of 11110 toggle I J Will correspondingly move the several tongues baekward to an intermecliate position, and ehe point a1: Whi0h Ehe han1mer will be engagecl by the aotion will be corresponclingly intermediate, and Ehe extent of the path through whioh the mechanis1n will ach 011 the ha1nrner will loe eorrespondingly intermecliate. Thus my mechanis1n allows ehe obtaining of half 01' any other desired fraotion 0f the effeet of ehe soft pedal and oorrespondingly changes the extent of the path through Whioh the aetion is engaged Winh the ha1n1ner.

None of the parts of 1ny meohanism are liable 110 be cleranged by warping. The 10d Gand ibs hooks G are of 1netal. 'Ihe wood in the links E may warp, but; such ohanges in aizy o1 all of those separate links Will not appreciably infinence the relation 0f any of the parts 01 appreciably dislaurb the effect.

Moclifications may be made without departing f101n bhe prineiple 01 sacrifieing the advantages of th0 invention. I ean eonnect the wire K to a point 011 ihe par1; I instead of the part J 0f he toggle. I'm is only imporbant that ii; be n ear the central knuokle, so as '00 aCt with meehanioal aclvanoage in changing the annular position of these parts. I oan make one 0f hhe .parts I 01J (leeperat itsin- 1101 encl and pivo0 the wire K 130 the upper portion of the deepehed pa1t, while the lower portzion is pivoted to the other aim of the sogglo. 'lhis may practieally 0ause the wire t0 give its elfecb exaculy ab the oentral knuckle. Fig. 5 shows such a consbruetion.

I elaixn as n1y invention l. In a piano, keys eaeh arranged 110 be depressed '00 an invariable extenn, and provisions for li1niting bhe extent of motion of 1:he oorresponding hamnners, in oombinaiaion with a series of tongues serving leverwise between the ktays and ehe hannners, ancl With provi- *sions comprising the series of links E, lost 2. In a piano, keys eaeh adapted 110 be de pressed 00 an invariable extent, and a shifting hammer-rail adapted t0 limit ehe extent of 1notion of 11l1e several hammers, in combination with a series of tongues serving leverwise between the keys and the ha1n1ners and with provisions eomprising the series of links E, lost-motion 10d G, hook-links G, springs E, double toggle I J, and operating eonnecion K f01 shifting the leverage 0f the whole series by means of a meohanioal conneotion from the soft pedal Wih0ili; liability 110 warping, all snbstanuially as herein speoified.

3. In a piano, keys eaeh adapted so be depressed "00 an invariable extent and a shifting hammer-rail aclaptecl to limit the exteno of motion 0f t-he several hammers, in combination Wibh a series of tongues serving leverwise between the keys and hammers and Wiish a pendent; link E for eaoh tongue, a movable lost-m'otion rod extending transversely of the piano engaged Wih oapaeity Tor easy disengagemeno With the series of links, and means conneeted With the soft pedal through the hammer-rail D,'serew K and toggle I J, a1- ranged for joint operation substantially as herein speeified.

In testimony that I olaim the invention above Set forth I aflix my signature in presence 0f two witnesses.

AUGUST RICHTER.

WVitnesses:

THOMAS DREW STETSON,

M. F. BOYLE. 

